Thursday

Feb 23, 2012 at 12:01 AMFeb 23, 2012 at 11:02 PM

In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood action film, a dramatic ball of flames and a large plume of smoke rose above downtown Fall River on Sunday morning after a truck crash and ensuing explosion on the Route 79 South viaduct, near the Braga Bridge.

Rather than continuing to waste millions of dollars to temporarily shore up these rapidly deteriorating ramps only for them to soon be demolished, the state should take the opportunity to reassess whether the Route 79 viaduct should be reopened at all.

In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood action film, a dramatic ball of flames and a large plume of smoke rose above downtown Fall River on Sunday morning after a truck crash and ensuing explosion on the Route 79 South viaduct, near the Braga Bridge.

While it’s remarkable that no lives were lost in the early morning accident involving a Taunton truck driver, the fiery crash underscores the fact that the “spaghetti ramps” on Route 79 are treacherous — particularly with the ongoing repair efforts there. Indeed, the truck fire quickly spread when a wooden scaffold attached to support the ongoing repair on the ramps caught fire. The massive flames damaged a one-lane section of Route 79 North above.

Rather than continuing to waste millions of dollars to temporarily shore up these rapidly deteriorating ramps only for them to soon be demolished, the state should take the opportunity to reassess whether the Route 79 viaduct should be reopened at all.

This week, MassDOT released an initial post-accident damage report indicating: “Steel angles at the web to web connection where the eastern most stringers tie into the bend girder have cracked. The bent girder web buckled due to extreme heat of the fire. Possible damage at the girder and column connection. Area requires power washing to perform an inspection.” Work is scheduled to continue, forcing some road closures and Route 79 North is expected to be closed for a week.

Constructed in 1965 and clearly showing their age, the viaducts that connect the highways through Fall River’s downtown area are not only ugly; they’re downright dangerous — particularly with the ongoing bridge rehabilitation occurring. Construction equipment and barriers make the ramps difficult to navigate. The maze through downtown Fall River includes nine ramps, 11 spans and 21 bi-level spans and 11 of bridges were found “structurally deficient and need rehabilitation,” Mass DOT reported.

MassDOT already plans to take down the viaducts as part of the $170 million to $180 million Route 79/Interstate 195 interchange improvements project. Preliminary design — promised in early 2012 — should be complete or near completion. The construction is funded under the state’s accelerated bridge program.

While the project to replace the deteriorated infrastructure and connect downtown and the waterfront is expected to take four years — and needs to be completed by 2016 to qualify for federal funding, the state ought to consider switching the project into high gear. MassDOT has a poor record when it comes to completing projects in an expedited manner, but it can be done. The massive stimulus-funded Exit 8B interchange project at the Fall River-Freetown line on Route 24 was completed ahead of schedule.

The viaducts have been a plague on Fall River for nearly 50 years, dividing the city and becoming a hindrance to economic development. The state now has a golden opportunity to make good on its promise to demolish them and spur much needed economic development on Fall River’s waterfront.

Closing the Route 79 ramps and replacing them with a waterfront boulevard in an expedited manner would not only save money and potentially save lives; it would also give a needed boost to Fall River’s waterfront development plans, which are already in motion, and create a large number of construction jobs.

If it finally spurs action on the demolition of the spaghetti ramps and the construction of a new connector between downtown and the waterfront, Sunday’s truck crash could prove to be a blessing in disguise. Federal, state and local officials ought to consider expediting the promised demolition and reconstruction of the new Route 79 connector, rather than wasting more resources on the old and dangerous viaduct’s repair.

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